An expert from the prestigious Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai answers six basic questions about the delta variable

One of the latest terms to come out of the pandemic is delta variable. This boom It appears to be more contagious than before and is becoming more common in the United States. It was initially identified in India and has already been detected in at least 85 countries. In North American country That issued some prevention guidelines in people who have already been vaccinated, such as the use of a chin strap, represents One in five confirmed cases of COVID-19.

On question and answer session, the doctor Shun Liu Assistant Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases, College of Medicine Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine, He said The prevalence of this species is alarming due to the number of people who have not been vaccinated. Those who contract this type are at high risk for family members who have not been vaccinated and for other people they come into contact with, such as those with weakened immune systems, including those with chronic diseases and the elderly, who have not been vaccinated. It can fight infection as easily as most. Leo He is part of a team of experts Mount Sinai who are at the forefront of research on vaccines and treatment of COVID-19 patients and are helping reduce the spread of the virus in the New York metropolitan area.

– What is a delta variable?

All viruses will evolve over time, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. It is normal for a virus to change slightly when it makes copies of itself or replicates itself. These changes are called mutations. A virus that contains one or more new mutations is called a variant. SARS-CoV-2 genetic variants emerged and spread worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. exist Six worrisome variables are prevalent in the United States; The delta variable is one such common variable. the last First discovered in December 2020, it has recently been detected in more than 80 countries and all 50 states.

Why is there concern about this variable?

– Variables of concern show evidence of At least one of the following five characteristics:It can spread more easily from person to person, and can lead to more serious illness (including increased hospitalizations or deaths), It can be remarkably difficult to combat by antibodies formed during infection or previous vaccination, It may avoid diagnostic detection and treatments or vaccines may show low efficacy against the variant.

alternative Delta, specially, Three of these characteristics, One of them is increased portability. There is a 1.6x increase in odds of home broadcasting for this variant compared to the alpha variant, also known as the UK variant.

Why is the issue of portability so important?

The fact that this strain can spread so quickly means that a person It has a higher chance of propagating the delta variant if it is infected. As clinicians, we see a significant amount of COVID-19 spreading between families. It’s very devastating between families, and This variant in particular has this high portability within it. People who have not been vaccinated actually put their family members, or those in their homes, at greater risk of developing serious illness, especially if they are also not vaccinated.

For those fully vaccinated, is the delta type a risk?

It is important to remember that eThe goal of COVID-19 vaccines is to prevent serious infections, hospitalizations, and deaths. Vaccines based on mRNA They are approximately 95% effective against hospitalization from COVID-19, in one or two doses. Studies indicate that The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine reduced the chances of developing symptomatic delta-variable disease, Which means mild disease, 36 percent after one dose and 88 percent after two doses. However, there are no data available on mild or asymptomatic infection with delta variant in fully vaccinated subjects. Which means People can become infected but have no symptoms. Additionally, we know that people with underlying medical conditions have died from COVID-19, even after full vaccination. as a result of,

Who have not been vaccinated?

If you have not yet been vaccinated, you should seriously consider doing so now. People who haven’t been vaccinated are more likely to get seriously ill or die from COVID-19, especially the delta type. Meanwhile, people who have not been vaccinated, or who are immunosuppressed, should continue to wear masks, socially remotely to avoid infection, especially if they do not know the condition of the people around them. If you are unsure about receiving a vaccination, I encourage you to speak with medical professionals who can provide you with reliable information about the benefits of vaccination. Currently, 44 percent of New York City residents of all ages have not been vaccinated. The distribution of vaccinated people is not uniform.

Why are vaccines important?

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global problem. While vaccines are available in the United States, most of the world is still not immune. s The epidemic will last for months, perhaps years. Vaccination Our primary means of ending the epidemic. Vaccines are safe and effective.

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